Software company founder John McAfee is photographed in an immigration detention center in Guatemala City on Thursday. / Guatemala's Human Rights Ombudsman's office

by William M. Welch, USA TODAY

by William M. Welch, USA TODAY

UPDATE: McAfee says he's inked a deal with Impact Future Media to present his life story, tentatively titled Running in the Background: The True Story of John McAfee. The media company plans to bring the incredible saga to film, television and print.

Anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee says he wants to return to the United States and fears "bad things will happen to me'' if he is returned to Belize, where authorities seek to question him about the death of a U.S. expatriate.

McAfee, 67, spoke Sunday night via an Internet video stream from Guatemala, where he has been detained since last week for entering the country illegally. He is appealing Guatemala's rejection of his request for political asylum.

McAfee says he wants to return to the United States and "settle down to whatever normal life" he can. "I simply would like to live comfortably day by day, fish, swim, enjoy my declining years," he said.

McAfee added he was in good health and denied any involvement in the death under investigation in Belize.

"Let me be clear: I had absolutely nothing to do with the murder,'' McAfee said.

He was wearing eyeglasses and spoke into a computer camera. He appeared alone against a backdrop of a bare white wall and ceiling.

Police in Belize, Guatemala's neighbor, want to question the software millionaire about the shooting death of Gregory Faull in early November. The two lived near each other in Ambergris Caye in Belize.

After inviting questions from the media via e-mail, McAfee said he had spoken with U.S. Embassy personnel, but they were powerless to help him.

He asserted that the government of Belize is rife with corruption, executions, bribery and extortion. He said police there want him back because he has become an embarrassment to Belize. He said police have raided his Belize property eight times.

"The reason I avoided the authorities is I believed then and I believe even stronger now ... the intent to question me has nothing to do with Mr. Faull's murder,'' he said. "I cannot ever return to Belize. The issues I'm discussing are hurting the government, hurting tourism.''

"The government was mad at me before,'' he said. "There is no hope for my life if I ever return to Belize.''